Repeat After Me
by PhantomSilverCrystal
Summary: Graduation passes, but life still goes on. Some will leave, some will be left behind, and some will be forced to face the fact that life won't always go their way. People fear the unknown: the unexpected. No one ever considers that the unexpected may be the unavoidable, and that which is unavoidable should be embraced. Hunter x Tori.
1. So Far We've Survived

**A.N.: Hi there :) I feel like I should probably say that this story has some really mild language and underage drinking in it. If that offends you, you probably won't want to read, but I hope you will because I spent a lot of time and writers cramps on this!**

* * *

"Aw, man," Dustin sighed, rolling his diploma back up.

"What's wrong, dude?" Shane asked, clapping a supportive hand on his friend's back.

"Yeah, cheer up," Tori added. "Or have you forgotten? We saved the world! Lothor's army has fallen and the world is safe again!"

"Plus, none of us really thought you'd get that diploma, anyways," Shane teased.

"Ha ha, very funny," Dustin sneered. "No, it's not that…" He stuffed the scroll under his arm and surveyed the area outside the graduation ceremony. When he was sure that no one would hear, explained in a hushed tone. "Sensei put my full name on the certificate."

"Oh, harsh," Shane sympathized.

"What's so bad about that?" Hunter's deep voice rang out from behind him. Dustin whipped around to see both Thunder Rangers looking back at him expectantly.

"Yeah, how bad could your middle name be?" Blake asked, snatching the scroll out from under Dustin's arm and tossed between his hands a few times.

"Dude," Dustin made a grab for it, but it was no use. Blake smiled playfully at him. "I'm not concerned about my middle name. I like my middle name. It's my first name I can't stand."

"Huh?" Blake asked, puzzled. He began to unroll the scroll. Hunter craned his neck to be able to read over his brother's shoulder. The Thunders were barely able to stifle a laugh as Blake read aloud, "Waldo Dustin Brooks."

"Shut up." Dustin said, grabbing his diploma back. "Let's see yours then."

"Hey, no prob." Hunter and Blake pulled their diplomas out from their back pockets and opened them. "Read it and weep: Blake Matthew Bradley, Mitchell's not too bad either, bro. No shame, Waldo."

"Waldo…" Hunter and Shane shared a small laugh.

"Hey, guys," Tori interjected. "Be nice."

"Hey, feel free to make fun of mine," Shane said with a smirk.

"Easy for you to say," said Dustin, poking Shane in the ribs. "You don't _have_ a middle name."

"Don't hate, Waldo. Oh, hey," He said, changing the subject. "What are you guys doing tonight? We should celebrate or something."

"I'm game!" Hunter said, raising his hand.

"Me, too," Tori smiled.

"I'm in," Blake grinned, looking right at Tori, who blushed in return. "How 'bout you, Waldo?"

"Don't call me that!" Dustin laughed along, this time. "Yeah, I'm in. Why don't we all meet up at my place later?"

"Why your place?" Blake asked.

"'Cause my sister has this ballet thing is Santa Monica, and my mom went with her. Over night."

"Sweet!" Shane declared, meeting Dustin in a fist bump. "Unsupervised fun!"

"What about your dad?" Hunter chimed in.

"Dude, it's all good. My dad lives in Napa. He just visits sometimes." Dustin shrugged. "So, are you guys coming or what?"

"Sounds cool." Blake admitted. "But I gotta be out by 11; I have this Factory Blue contract signing thing, tomorrow."

"Oh, right," Tori said looking at her feet. "So, when do you leave?"

"I get on the plane Monday morning for L.A.," he answered, enthused.

"Cool, it'll be like a double party!" Shane rubbed his hands together with a silly smile. "It can be Graduation-from-Ninja-School-and-Getting-Rid-of-Blake Palooza!"

"Hey, don't overdo it!" Cam called passing by. "Don't forget that you have Wind Sensei orientation at noon."

"Okay, Cam," Dustin promised, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"You wanna come too?" Tori asked politely.

"No thanks," Cam answered, waving them off. "You guys have fun."

"So my place, nine-ish?" Dustin smiled.

* * *

"The party has arrived!" Shane exclaimed, pushing open Dustin's front door.

"Yo," Dustin called from the kitchen. "Come on in, you gotta check this out!"

Shane walked down the hall, past pictures of Dustin and his sister, Lexi, through childhood. He paused to examine one in particular. The adolescent faces of himself, Dustin, and Tori stared back at him. Shane thought he looked pretty good, considering it was the first day of high school. Tori's unruly blonde hair and silver braces contrasted with the girl he knew today and Dustin… Well, to Dustin's credit, he had let Tori cut his hair earlier that week. He chuckled to himself before setting the picture back on the hall table and heading back towards the kitchen.

Hunter and Blake were already there, standing with Dustin around the kitchen counter. Dustin moved a little so Shane could see the case of beer they had been looking at.

"Dude! How'd you swing that?" Shane asked, fighting a smile.

"A ninja knows when to keep his secrets."

Hunter scoffed, and Blake just looked confused.

"No, really, where'd you get that?" Blake asked.

"You swiped it from the staff graduation party, didn't you?" Hunter said with a disapproving look.

"Dude," Dustin hit Hunter's chest. "How'd you know?"

"Hello?" A feminine voice from the front hall called out. "Guys?"

"In the kitchen, Tori!" Shane called out. "You bring the tunes?"

"Like I could forget," She answered walking into the kitchen and catching sight of the beer. "Oh. Is that really such a good idea?" She asked, pointing towards the case.

"Oh, lighten up, Tori," Blake said, ripping the cardboard and tossing her a can.

"Well, I guess you're right," She reasoned. "I mean, I'm a senior and I've never even tasted this stuff. This is what normal non-super-powered teens do, right?" She flipped the metal tab back and took a small sip. "Ew. You guys actually like this stuff?"

"No, but that's why I don't drink it." Hunter answered plainly.

"It gets better," Shane assured her. He put an arm over her shoulder and began to guide her to the living room, but not before grabbing a can for himself.

"I'm going to miss this," Blake sighed, joining them. "It's gonna be all work and no play for a while."

"Yeah, but you'll be riding factory, bro!" Dustin said taking a seat on the arm of the couch. "Totally worth it."

Suddenly, Tori became very thirsty at the thought of Blake's departure. She brought her can to her lips and proceeded to chug the rest of it.

"Whoa, easy there," Hunter pulled the can from her face and placed it on the coffee table. "Come on, sit down," he took a seat on the small yellow sofa, pulling Tori down with him.

"So, Blake, do you start racing right away?" Shane asked.

"Pretty much. I think my first race is— oh, what did he say? Thursday?"

"Yeah," Hunter confirmed, putting his arm over the back of the seat.

"You'll be great, Blake," Tori piped up. "I know it. They'll probably have you riding the major circuits and signing kids' helmets or whatever in no time flat."

Hunter gave her a skeptical, sideways glance.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothin'."

Four beers later, Blake was out like a light in Shane's lap. Shane was passed out, with one hand resting on Blake's neck and his head thrown over the back of the couch.

"Dude." Dustin slurred, having had one too many himself. "We gotta get a picture of this for Blake's new factory friends."

"Dustin, you're totally wasted, and it's like, midnight." Hunter laughed. "You should get some sleep, bro."

"Nuh-uh. We gotta get proof!" He fished in his pockets for his phone and flipped it open. He tried to take a picture before giving up with a fit of laughter.

"What time is it?" Tori cried. She had stopped after the first beer, deciding the buzz wasn't worth the taste of feet. However, she still felt a little woozy. "I gotta be home by 12:30!" She stood up and raced for the door.

"Tor, give me your keys," Hunter demanded.

"What? No, I'm fine. Honest." She insisted.

"Tori." Hunter said firmly. "Did you drink, tonight?"

"Oh, come on. That's not fair. I had one beer and I don't feel it!"

"Did you drink, tonight?" He asked again.

"Yes." She answered reluctantly.

"Now, did I drink, tonight?"

"No!" Dustin laughed from the floor. "You were a total wuss about it!" This sent him into another laughing spree.

"So, look's like I'm the total wuss that's going to drive you home tonight." He smiled as her keys came flying at his face.

* * *

**A.N.: ****Please review! You'll be my favorite :)**


	2. Battle Scars

"Hunter, I'm fine. I don't need a designated driver." Tori repeated, crawling into the passenger seat of her van, anyway.

"So, don't think of me as the designated driver. I'll just be that charming guy escorting you home," He said with a lopsided grin. He turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of Dustin's driveway.

"Yeah, in my car," she muttered under her breath.

"No offense, Tor," Hunter began, "But you're really not in any condition to be driving alone."

"You're kidding me. I had one beer, hours ago! Seriously, you just wanted an excuse to drive my baby!" She exclaimed.

"Maybe I did," He laughed. "You know, I am worried about you though. Seems to me that someone is a bit of an emotional wreck."

"You can't mean me." Tori said, indignantly.

"Really?" He raised both eyebrows and shot her a sideways glance, before pulling his eyes back to the road. Besides the stray sedan here and there, they were really the only ones out on the road.

"Yeah, really."

"Oh, so that, back there?" He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "What was that, then? That was fine?" He raised the pitch of his deep voice and batted his eyelashes. "Oh, Blake, you'll be awesome! Oh, Blake, I love you… Oh, Blake—"

"Stop. That is _not_ what I sound like," She cut in. "Besides, who even said that I like him like that? Because I don't."

"Liar." He smirked.

"Okay, maybe a little bit, but it's not like we ever talked about it." She twirled the end of one of her braids between her fingers. "Blake is great. He is, but he's got a life in Los Angeles, now, and me… I can't go to L.A. I have responsibilities here. And anyway, if it was going to happen, it already would have, you know? I'll be fine, Hunter. You don't have to worry about me."

"Oh, but I do!"

Tori looked out the window, but it was too dark to see anything properly. "I'm a big girl, you know. I can worry about myself. Why do you have to, too?"

"What? I don't know." She had caught him off guard. It took him a moment to think about it. It definitely wasn't a big brother thing: that was for sure. Although, it wasn't really romantic either, he decided. Sure, she was cute, but Blake was crazy about her, and that made her off limits. Maybe it was just possible that he was her friend, and friends were supposed to care about each other, right? "I don't know, I just do, okay?"

"That's not a real answer." She nudged him with her shoulder, pushing the question. "You copping out on me, Bradley?"

"No!" He insisted defensively. "You want a real answer?"

"Yeah." Tori wasn't really sure what made her so stubborn tonight. The simple fact that he wasn't giving her a straight answer was enough to make her slightly tweaked, and usually, she would be able to get past that, but… Well, he was driving her van. A straightforward answer was the least he owed her.

"Okay." He paused pulling up to a red light. "How about that my brother has you wrapped around his little finger? Or because maybe, despite what you may think, you don't know everything and people aren't always to be trusted. Someone needs to look out for you, Tori, or you might just get in trouble."

"Whatever." She sighed. "I'm fully capable of looking out for myself."

"I know." Hunter turned his head from the red light to look her square in the eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that… Well, I don't know. You're my girl, Tor."

"Your girl? What does _that_ mean?" She held his gaze in silence for a minute before he had to tear his eyes back to the road as the light turned green.

"It means… I'm on your side." He punched her arm playfully. "You know, you're my girl."

"Hey, you were supposed to turn back there!" She realized.

"No, I don't think so," An evil grin crept across Hunter's face. "That's the way to your house."

"What? Where are we going?" Tori's voice was suddenly tinted with worry. "I have a curfew, remember?"

"Just trust me, okay? You'll be glad you did." He was still wearing that childish smile.

"Hunter. Mitchell. Bradley." She spoke firmly, like a mother scolding a child. "You had better tell me where we're going, cause you've already given me some possessive spiel about how I'm just a damsel in distress, Shanghai'd my van— my pride and joy, mind you— and if you cross county lines, that's kidnapping. So, spill it. Now."

"Victoria. Joy. Hanson." Hunter mimicked her tone perfectly. "I'm going to ignore everything you just said, because that's the curfew talking. Besides, I can't kidnap you if you're eighteen. That makes you a legal adult."

"Seventeen," She corrected. "And my middle name isn't Joy, it's Katherine."

"Oh, wait, you're not eighteen? I guess there goes half my plan…"

"What plan?" Tori asked quickly.

"Relax, I'm kidding. Would it kill you to trust me?"

"I don't know, will it?" She countered.

"Come on, we're almost there." He pulled the van onto the next left, a street Tori knew well.

"The beach?" She asked, unsure.

"Yep. The beach." Hunter pulled the van into the sand and parked. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he pocketed her keys and threw open the door before hopping out. It took him a couple of feet before he realize she wasn't following him. "You commin', Tor?"

"Fine," She grumbled, getting out of the van herself. Reluctantly, she followed Hunter down a stretch of beach silently. All of a sudden, he plopped down. With a grunt, he peeled off his crimson kicks and buried his feet in the cool sand.

"So, what? I'm going to be grounded for a week because you want to chill on the beach?" Tori asked, looking down at Hunter's outline in the night. "No offense, but it's not really worth it."

"How long would you be grounded if you came home reeking of Dustin's beer breath?" He shot back.

"Fair point." She crossed her arms, never the less. "I guess it couldn't hurt to hold out a little longer." Suddenly, Hunter's rough hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her down into the sand. Slipping, she fell flat on her back. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength." She could see his white, apologetic smile even in the darkness.

"It's okay, I've had worse spills than that." Tori said, sitting back up. "You ever been in a rolling Zord? Not fun."

"Preach it!" He let out a small, hearty laugh in agreement.

"It's hard to believe it's all over now…"

"Aw, come on, Tor, don't talk like that." Hunter pulled his knees to his chest for warmth.

"Like what?" She asked, innocently.

"Like we're not gonna be friends anymore. You've already got a job offer, right? You're gonna be seeing Dustin, Shane, and Cam every single day. You realize that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess," She sighed. "But what about you? And…" Her voice trailed off, remembering that she didn't want to talk about Blake. Not now, anyways.

"Hey." Hunter's voice was suddenly sharp as he shifted his weight back on his hands. "I don't speak for my brother, but you and me? We're tight."

"I'm your girl." She reminded him with a smile.

"Okay, I just realized how dumb that must have sounded to you, but I don't care. You're still my girl, and I'm not going to let that go to waste. We'll stay in touch, I promise." He reached over and pushed her back into the sand, again. "Besides, I've been through worse than being an hour drive away from my friends."

For a while, Tori had nothing to say. She stayed on her back this time, staring up at the stars. Finally, she shattered the silence with a question. "You've had a tough life, haven't you?"

"It's not over, yet." He shrugged, laying back himself. "You know what, though?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad this whole Power Rangers thing is over."

"You are?"

"Yeah. Here," He rolled up his sleeve and grabbed her hand, placing it on the deep gash on his inner forearm. "I won't miss this part."

"Jeez," She exclaimed, running her fingers over his scabbed wound. "Hunter, how long has this been here?"

"I don't know," He winced at her touch. "Since… The last time I crossed blades or whatever with Motodrone?"

"This could have been really bad," She said with worry in her voice.

"Like you don't have battle scars," He scoffed.

"Well… yeah," She admitted, pulling the hem of her shirt up a little.

"What… What are you doing?" He averted his gaze from the sliver of tan stomach that she was now exposing.

"Oh, relax, you perv." Tori jested. "I got this," She pointed to a long scar that wrapped from above her belly button to her left hipbone. "From a random Kelzak. At least yours is a cool story. I got trashed by some faceless space ninja wannabe."

"Life is unfair." Hunter conceded.

"Agreed."

Soon, all that could be heard was the ocean battering the shore. The breeze whistled between them, but neither of them dared to move. Once again, it was Tori who spoke first.

"Hey, Hunter?" She stood up.

"Yeah?" He sat up and looked at her, silhouetted in the moonlight.

"Seems like such a shame to be at the beach and not go in the water… Don't you think?"

"Um, I don't like where you're going with this." He answered, tying his shoes together and throwing them over his shoulder. "Come on, we should get going."

"What's the matter?" Tori asked mischievously. "Scared of a little water?"

"Is that a challenge?" Hunter locked eyes with her for a moment, studying her intentions. The second he felt her start to pull away from their staring contest, he took matters into his own hands. "Race you there!"

They both took off at full speed, yelling for the fun of it. They tried to outrun each other, but Tori was no match for Hunter's long strides and he reached the water first, running up to his knees before realizing how cold the ocean actually was and retreating. Tori burst out laughing at his expense.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," He chided sarcastically. His jeans were soaked with salt water. She had nearly doubled over, and it was really not helping his ego. While she was distracted by the comedic gold that his wet jeans was, Hunter raced to her side and lifted her off the ground by the waist. She only laughed harder, but this time, he joined in.

"Hunter! Put me down!" Tori squealed between giggles. She wriggled under his strength and accidentally kicked his shin just a little too hard.

"Ow! Okay, okay," He snickered.

"Much better," She smiled as her feet touched back down on the sand.

"You know what?" Hunter asked brushing a stray hair from her face.

"What?" She beamed back.

"You're adorable." With both hands on her shoulders, he leaned her forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Come on. Let's get you home. Curfew, right?"

"Right, curfew." She could still feel the warmth of his lips on her face, the outline of his hands on her shoulders, the shadow of his voice in her ears. He took her hand in his and pulled her back to the van.

"Hey, can I drive?" She asked.

"Nope." He grinned, fishing her keys out of his pocket and sliding into the drivers seat.


	3. Don't Turn Around

"Ugh," Blake groaned, rolling off Shane's lap as the sunlight filtered into Dustin's living room. "What time is it?" His head felt like a cinder block and his tongue tasted distinctly like a carpet. Maybe he had overdone it last night. Squinting at his wrist, he realized the time. "Hunter!"

"Dude, too loud," Dustin hushed from the floor, covering his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I have to be at Rodger Hanna's office in, like, fifteen minutes!" He raced about, finding his jacket on the floor and his shoes at the doormat. "Where is Hunter?" He checked outside. Hunter's pickup was still there, so Hunter had to still be there, too.

"Dude, way too loud." Dustin complained, sitting up to rub his temples. "I think he took Tori home last night."

"What?" Blake asked, confused. He spotted Hunter's keys on the sofa, and decided that he'd worry about Tori later. "Whatever, if you see him, tell him I'm taking his truck," He said, snatching the keys.

"Okay," Shane mumbled, still half asleep. "You're late."

"Damn it," Blake cursed under his breath. "Okay, I'm going. If you guys are late to your orientation thingy, Cam is gonna kill you." He slammed the front door on the way out.

"Ugh," Dustin held his head. "Why is he so loud?"

"Beats me," Shane answered, stretching. "Come on, let's get this place cleaned up, your mom's going to be coming home soon."

"Hey," He said, remembering something. "Hunter took Tori home…"

"I heard you the first time, bro." Shane began to collect empty cans from around the room.

"Yeah, but do you think something happened? Do you think they're okay?"

"I'm sure they're fine. They wouldn't get into any trouble."

* * *

"Dustin, Shane, you guys are in a world of trouble," Tori said to herself outside Ninja Ops. The party last night had been a bad idea, after all. They were probably still sleeping it off. She looked at her watch: 12:01. She was officially late. They had exactly two minutes and she was going in—with or without them.

She probably should have gone back to pick them up this morning, but Hunter had used her van to drive himself home after dropping her off. He had promised to pick her up from orientation today to return it. Usually she didn't mind walking, but knowing there was a brooding blonde out there with her baby just kind of took all the fun out of it.

Tori supposed it had been nice, if unexpected, of Hunter to take her to the beach, and he was right. She had been glad she did. Plus, her parents had already been asleep when she got home, so for all they knew, she _had _made curfew. Bonus.

Hunter was a good friend, she decided. He was a good person with an annoying knack of always being right, and on top of that, he was hard to stay mad at, even after the van-napping.

"Tori! What are you doing? We're so late!" Shane's voice raced past her barely giving her a glimpse at the rest of him. Dustin followed closely, bursting into Ops. She sighed with slight annoyance.

"I must admit," Sensei was waiting for them just inside. "I'm a little disappointed with all of you, today. You're late."

"Sensei, I was actually here on time," Tori tried to explain.

"I know, Tori, and that is why I am perhaps most disappointed with you. It is time that you began to act on your own. True leaders do not wait for others to make the first move."

"I understand," She said with a slight bow of respect.

"Hey, Sensei," Dustin scratched at the back of his head, nervously. "We're not in trouble are we?"

"No, Dustin. Not this time." Sensei sighed.

"But punctuality is one of the most important traits of a teacher. Right, Dad?" Cam said entering the main room from the back entrance.

"Yes, Cam. One of many." He agreed, turning back to Shane, Tori and Dustin. "Cam will be explaining your duties as teachers, today, but if you need me, I'll be in meditation on the North Terrace."

"Cam?" Shane asked, shocked. "But he's new at this, too!"

"Actually, I've been working in the administration office since I was old enough to type." Cam corrected, rolling his eyes. "Follow me."

He led them out of Ninja Ops to a small building on the opposite side of campus. A small, hanging sign on the right of the steps clarified that this was the administration office. They entered, following Cam down a hall, past a small bench, to the room at the end.

"This is my new office," He explained proudly, tapping the small nameplate that read, "C. Wantanabe: Assistant Head of Administration."

"I'll be taking care of the day to day stuff: finances, staff complaints and requests, enrollment. If you have any questions, I'll probably be the best person you can ask. Okay," he clapped his hands together. "Let's begin with the orientations, then."

"Orientations? Plural?" Shane asked.

"You didn't think that you'd all be doing the same thing, did you? It's easier to do this part individually, because your jobs are so different. Shane, we'll start with you." Cam opened the door and gestured for Shane to go on in. "Step into my office," He beamed. "Sorry, I've just always wanted to say that."

Shane shot Dustin and Tori a concerned look before closing the door behind him.

"Well, looks like it's just us," Dustin smiled, taking a seat on the bench. "And I think you've got some explaining to do, missy."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, sitting beside him.

"You know," He nudged her with a knowing grin.

"No, I really don't," Tori assured him.

"You and Hunter? You guys left together, last night…" He reminded her.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, did any thing, you know… _happen_?" He raised his eyebrows puckishly.

"What? No! Of course not." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I'm a little surprised you even remember that."

"Don't change the subject."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's not like that." Dustin pouted at her answer.

"So, you're expecting me to believe that he just drove you straight home? That's it? I'll bet he was the perfect gentleman, too," His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Was he all, 'Good night, Miss Hanson. Until we meet again'?"

"Dustin," Tori warned. He stared at her, skeptical. "No, okay? We didn't _exactly _go home right away."

"I KNEW IT!" Dustin exclaimed, a little too loudly, causing Tori to throw a hand over his mouth in attempt to hush him.

"Shane's interview!" She hissed in a whisper. He began to say something, but his voice was muffled. "Oh, sorry." Pulling her hand back, she apologized.

"No, my bad." He owned up. "So, did he make a move?" When she only gave him a quizzical look in return, he continued. "I mean, did he make a pass at you? Did he confess his undying love or whatever?"

"No, I know what a move is. I'm not dumb. I just don't know what would make you think Hunter would make one."

"Oh, okay, I see." He cracked his knuckles, satisfied with his understanding of the situation.

"You see what?"

"I guess Hunter's just not the kind of guy to put the moves on a girl who's already hung up on someone else. Blake, right?"

"Who asked you?" She shot back.

"Um, you did. Just now." He answered with a smack to his forehead for emphasis.

"Whatever."

The truth was that Tori _was_ hung up on Blake. Since the first day they'd met, she had been absolutely intoxicated by him and utterly let down by him at the same time. He had a habit of leaving her, and being turned against her (but, she'd admit, that wasn't entirely his fault). Maybe it was sick, but despite the disappointment, she still felt so strongly, and there were times when she was sure he felt the same way. His goodbyes were always the hardest. And just when she thought things might be looking up for the two of them, this happened. Blake was leaving, again, and even though she had some warning this time, she was sure that there would still be no closure. Maybe she'd never know where they stood.

But Blake? He wasn't why nothing had happened between her and Hunter. Nothing had happened between them because there _was_ nothing between them; at least Tori didn't think there was. She hadn't really thought about him in that way before, but to be fair, since meeting Blake, she hadn't really thought of anyone else in that way.

There were worse guys out there, she supposed. Actually, there were very few better, but everything was too complicated right now. Until a few days ago, they'd been in the middle of an outright war. There was no point in bringing whatever feelings she might or might not have for Hunter into the mix. Things were moving too fast for that. So, she tried her best to just forget the whole thing.

It was easier to forget it than to face it.

"Tor?" The sound of Shane's voice tore her from her thoughts. "Cam's ready to talk to you, now." In a whisper, he added, "I think the office has gone to his head."

"Well, anything's better than talking to Dustin right now," Tori scoffed, walking past him into Cam's office.

Just before closing the door, she heard Dustin explaining himself. "Not my fault, bro. She's got a bad case of the Bradley Brothers."

* * *

**A.N.: Thanks so much for reading :) I was hoping to have this up earlier this week, but I just started at a new job, and summer homework and other pathetic excuses for excuses… As always, feel free to review!**


	4. Here Comes the Storm

"Ah, Tori," Cam said, shuffling papers into a red folder from behind his desk. He opened a meticulously filed drawer and replaced the red folder with a blue one. "Take a seat," He gestured to the two large plush chairs opposite his desk. She sank into the one on her left.

"Nice place you've got here," Tori said, looking around. This room reminded her of a principal's office, and in a way, it was. The floor was glossy wood covered partially by a large green throw rug. Hanging lights reflected off the light green walls. There were no windows, but the walls were already decorated with bookshelves bursting with thick volumes and dusty scrolls. "Hey, is that… It is!" She pointed to a frame behind the desk. "You framed the last entry on the Scroll of Destiny?"

"Yes." He looked over his shoulder. "Does it look okay?"

"Yeah, I love it, but when did you have time to do all of this?" She asked hesitantly.

"Last night. Can we…" He tapped his pen on her folder. Tori nodded. She guessed this wouldn't take long judging by how thin the file was. "Okay, first things first. Your assignments."

"Oh, let me guess!" She pleaded excitedly. "Sparring? Inner-Ninja relations? Reflex and Reaction?"

"No." He answered bluntly. "You'll be teaching History of the Ninja Way."

"What? But… No one pays attention in that class!" She protested. "I definitely didn't!"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Cam smiled. "Consider it a challenge."

"What about the guys? What are they teaching?" Tori asked, appalled with her assignment. She hated history with a passion. Of course she recognized the importance of history. Those who don't learn it are doomed to repeat it, after all. However, that didn't make it any more interesting to her. She was the type who would rather make history than teach it.

"Shane will be leading technique classes and helping to sort element specialties. Dustin will be teaching reaction and stealth." Cam said, conferring with his notes.

"But, Cam… I'm so bad at history!" She complained weakly.

"And you think Dustin's good at stealth? It's important to challenge yourself even after graduation." Cam explained.

"I hate to say it, Cam, but don't you think you're being a little hard on Dustin?"

"Not really." He answered calmly, flipping to the next page in the file.

"Seriously. Dustin's a bit of a flake, but he's not a bad guy. I think he really looks up to you, actually." She went on, completely forgetting she was mad at him. Defending Dustin and Shane was second nature to her, usually she didn't even notice when she was doing it.

"Well, that's nice to hear." Cam said, tapping the pen again. "Let's try to stay on task, though, okay? I hope this isn't the way you plan on running the classroom."

"You're right, sorry."

"Okay, then. Because you were a student, you basically know the way we do things here— classroom protocol and what not— so we don't have to spend too much time on that, and we already have most of your paperwork… My only word of caution is this: remember that you'll be expected to be a teacher, a role model, and a mentor, but not a friend. The temptation will be there, but you need respect before friendship."

"That should be easy enough," She assured him.

"Good." He checked a box on the page. "So, your classes will be…" He consulted the folder, again. "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6 to 8, and Saturday from 9 to 11 A.M."

"Sounds reasonable." She said, a little disappointed. "I kind hoped that I'd be getting more hours in, though."

"If this is about wages—"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that." She promised. "No, it's just… What am I supposed to do now, you know? Fighting evil space ninjas was kind of a full time job. I don't think that surfing is going to cut it alone, anymore."

"Have you considered pursuing a post secondary education?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"College? Well, I had thought I would. I actually got in at University of Ashworth, but I declined to take the year off. They said they would hold my scholarship, though. I guess for a while there, college didn't fit into the plan."

"The plan? What was the plan?" He asked, adjusting his glasses.

"You're going to laugh," She warned him.

"Try me."

"Professional Power Ranger... Roll with the punches, see what happens…" She stopped at his skeptical look. "See I knew you'd think it was dumb."

"Tell me that wasn't seriously your plan."

"I didn't exactly have a choice, did I?" She crossed her arms defensively. "I was needed here. College and saving the world? That would be way too much stress for one girl. What was I supposed to do? Sorry, Earth, my education comes first…"

"I guess when you put it that way," Cam sighed. "But promise me you'll see if you can get back on the enrollment list? This could be a big step for you."

"Yeah, I promise. I've always wanted to get into physical therapy, anyway…" She admitted.

Cam nodded with approval. "You'd be good at that. Well, that's just about everything, I guess… Oh! You start student teaching next week. Ideally you'll be flying solo by the end of the summer. Maybe before that if you're good."

"Wow, that soon?"

"You'll do fine, I'm sure." He smiled encouragingly. "I think that's really everything, now. You can go home, if you want. Send Dustin in on your way out?"

"Sure thing," Tori grinned standing up. She opened the door to find Dustin sitting alone on the bench where she left him. When he looked up at her with apologetic eyes, she decided that she couldn't be mad at him for what he had said. It had only upset her because she didn't want him to be right. "You're up."

"Tori, you aren't really mad at me are you? 'Cause I was thinking and I was kinda harsh… I only meant to tease you is all…"

"It's fine, D. I might have over-reacted a little." She smiled. "I'm going to get going. I'll see you."

"Okay. Come here," He pulled her into a quick hug before taking off into Cam's office. "Oh, by the way," Dustin turned around in the doorway. "Lover boy's here with your van. He said he'd meet you out front when you're done. Don't keep him waiting!" The door shut before she could protest.

With an exhausted huff, Tori left the administration office and made her way off campus, past the waterfall. She looked around and found Hunter leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing, reading a magazine. His eyes glanced up at the sound.

"Took you long enough," Hunter joked, rolling up the magazine.

"You could have come in," She said as they began to walk out to the road. He slung an arm over her shoulder. For some reason she tensed under his touch. Maybe it was the memory of Dustin's words, or perhaps a feeling she'd ignored too long. Either way, it was hard to brush away, now.

"Are you okay?" He asked, feeling her stiffen.

"Fine," Tori answered just a little too quickly. "I'll drive!"

Hunter laughed at her enthusiasm. "Okay, here," He pulled the keys from his jacket pocket and placed them in her outstretched hand. His fingertips grazed her palm, leaving tingling shadows behind. Tori wondered why she hadn't noticed this before. When had it started, she wondered. Perhaps she was imagining it. He walked to the passenger side and waited expectantly for her to unlock the door, but she only stared back at him, dazed.

"Tori?"

"Hm? Oh, right! We have to get _in_ the car before we can go anywhere." She covered. Twisting the key in the lock, she pulled the door open, and leaned to unlock the passenger door, so he could get in.

"Seriously, Tor. Are you sure there's nothing going on?" He pulled the seatbelt across his chest.

"Yeah, I'm sure, why?" She started the van and pulled on to the road. This was crazy, she decided. This was Hunter: Blake's brother, Hunter. The strange feeling was paranoia. That had to be it. She was questioning her feelings for Blake, and putting all her doubts in his brother. If it were anything more, she surely would have felt it before now.

"It's just… You're acting kind of weird." He pushed his hair up his forehead. "Did everything go okay with Cam?"

"No, actually." She declared. "He wants me to teach _history._"

"But… You're terrible at history." His attempt at gentleness was wasted.

"Thanks a lot," She laughed. "I know I am. It's supposed to be a challenge or something, but Shane's teaching technique, and that'll be a breeze for him."

"Maybe, maybe not." Hunter shrugged. "There's really no such thing as an easy job at ninja school."

"Right. Look who's talking, Mr. Head Teacher."

"You're not getting intimidated, are you? I know, I know. I've already got the looks and the mad skills. I hope the professional success won't be too much for you to handle." He said in a jesting tone.

"Yeah, right." She rolled her eyes. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, they were getting close to his apartment.

"Before I forget, what are you doing tomorrow?" Hunter piped up.

"What's tomorrow? Monday?" Tori contemplated it for a minute. There might be something, she thought, but she couldn't remember what. "I don't think anything… Why?"

"Well, the guys were going to come to help see Blake off. We wanted to know if you'd come." Of course, that was what she'd forgotten. Blake. Blake was leaving for Los Angeles in the morning. "I'd completely understand if you didn't want to, though."

She pulled into his complex and parked before answering. "Are you kidding? Why wouldn't I want to?"

"I don't know, I guess I just thought—"

"Because it's Blake? Is that it? You think I can't handle saying goodbye?" She cut him off, angrily. "God, I am so tired of everyone trying to tell me who I'm in love with! I can come and say goodbye to Blake without having an emotional break down, okay? It's not a big deal. This isn't the first time he's left. It's not like I haven't had to deal with this before. So, he's moving. Whatever. I don't get it… You guys think I'm so weak I can't even manage to see my friend off properly. Is it because I'm a girl?"

"Uh—" His jaw went slack as he tried to come up with the right words.

"Whatever, I'll be there, okay?"

Hunter stared at her in shock for a moment. Obviously, this had really, really upset her, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what exactly he'd said wrong. "Okay, sorry."

She took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I'm sorry. That was a little much, huh? I guess I'm just a bit more touchy than I'd like to admit." Tori said avoiding eye contact.

"Hey." He reached over, grabbed her hand, and gave it a supportive squeeze. She noticed again how strong and warm his hands were. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." She met his eyes briefly, before pulling her hand back. "Thanks though."

"Alright," He answered hesitantly. "But you have my number, so, if you change your mind…"

"You'll be the first one I call," She promised, forcing a smile.

"Okay," He smiled back, stepping out of the van. He took a few steps out before turning back around. "Almost forgot. Gate H, 7:30 in the morning. Don't be late." He warned.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

**A.N.: Hey, everyone :) Thank you so much for the reviews and the follows, and sorry for the short hiatus there. It was unintentional, I assure you... but I have the next two chapters written and ready to type, so the updaye will be coming soon!**


	5. It's Over Now

**A.N.: To the readers who have waited so patiently for this chapter—I'm sooooo sorry for the delay. If it's any consolation, I have almost finished this story and hope to have it completely up by the end of March at the very latest. Thank you again for your support!**

* * *

"Pick up. Pick up!" Tori prayed into the receiver of her cell phone from the drivers seat of her beloved van, parked safely on the street outside Shane's house. In typical Shane style, he was running late and she was getting frustrated.

"Yo," Shane answered as his front door swung open. He looked as though he'd just rolled out of bed. A cowlick of unkempt hair stuck up as he raced to the curb, shoes under his arm and phone cradled between his ear and shoulder. Tori sighed; flipping her own phone shut and started the engine. With his free hand, Shane threw open the passenger door and slid in, allowing his shoes to tumble to the floor. She started to pull back into the street before he even got a chance to close the door.

"Dude!" Shane exclaimed, fastening his seatbelt. "What's the rush? The sun's not even up, yet!"

"Hunter said Blake's plane leaves at seven thirty, so if we want to make it in time, we have be on the road…" She checked the clock on the car radio. It told her it was 6:57. "Ten minutes ago."

"Or, we could wait another twenty and still be fine." Shane wiped sleep from the corner of his eye with the heel of his palm.

"I am _not_ risking airport traffic." She huffed, pulling her blue travel mug from the cup holder and taking a long sip before returning it. Tori had a feeling that she'd need all the caffeine she could get this morning. "Did I tell you what Hunter said? He thought that I wouldn't want to come today! Can you believe that?"

"Why do you care what Hunter thinks?"

"What? I don't know. It just bothered me. Like, why _wouldn't _I want to go, you know?" She tried to explain. "Blake means a lot to me, so—"

"Oh, trust me, we know." Shane laughed, eliciting a fierce sideways glance from Tori. He ignored it, instead picking up his shoes and beginning to loosen the laces. "Tor, don't freak out, okay? None of us thought you'd want to go."

"That's crazy."

"Maybe," He shrugged. "But think about it. Obviously, you and Blake have… Whatever it is you have. At this point, knowing you…" His voice trailed off, hoping he wouldn't have to finish that sentence.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She shot back, glaring at him once more from behind the wheel.

"Nothing," Shane backed down this time. "Hey, look, all I'm saying is that if it we're me, I'd give it a little thought before I just decided I was going to go. Have you thought about it at all? Like what you're going to say to him?"

"I thought I'd say goodbye." She said bluntly. "Shane, this isn't going to be weird, okay? Blake and I are friends and since we never talked about being anything, you know, _more_, I think I at least owe it to him to send him off properly. He's moving to a strange city where he won't know anyone. I just want to make sure he's okay."

"Okay. If you say so."

"No, really. Who knows when I'll see him again? Christmas? If then?" She asked, attempting to ignore the tug in her heart at the truth of her words. "I mean, we'll probably still talk, or e-mail, or something, but I don't want my last real memory of him to be the right he got smashed and passed out on Dustin's couch."

"Fair enough." Shane conceded, pulling his shoes on. "Just don't do something dumb."

Tori raised an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to the road.

* * *

"Aw, man," Blake whined, checking the flight board and then his watch for the twentieth time in the past ten minutes. He paced in front of Hunter, who rolled his eyes. "Where is she?"

"Relax, bro. You're wearing a path in the floor." Hunter placed a firm hand on Blake's shoulder, forcing him to stand still. "She said she'd be here. Like, she promised and everything.

"Yeah." Dustin said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I'm sure she's on her way. Shane probably just overslept. He does that, you know."

"Or," Cam suggested. "Maybe she hit airport traffic. On the bright side, we're here, aren't we?"

"I guess," Blake muttered, before catching himself. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. Thank you, guys, for coming out here. I know it's early and stuff. I'm just worried that Tori forgot, or she remembered but, you know, just didn't want to…"

"Dude, seriously?" Dustin chimed. "Are you kidding? You know she's crazy about you, right?"

"Nah, come on," Blake scoffed back. "As if someone like her… She would have said something, right?" He looked to his brother. Hunter rolled his eyes again, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "Wait, you mean she really does? Cam! Did she say anything to you?"

"Leave me out of this one," Cam said defensively.

"She didn't have to say anything, bro." Hunter said, hoping he didn't sound as jealous as he was beginning to feel. He wasn't completely sure why, but he couldn't wait for Blake to get on that plane. He felt horrible about wanting it; Blake was his little brother, the one person he'd been able to turn to all those years, and now he was counting minutes until his plane took off. Shaking the thoughts, Hunter reminded himself that in an hour or two, he'd want Blake back.

"How is it possible that _all_ of you knew, and I didn't?!" Blake couldn't contain himself and spoke much louder than he'd meant to. People around the terminal turned to look at the group of noisy boys in brightly colored clothes. Blake could feel the blush on his cheeks as people turned back to what they were doing.

"Knew what?" Tori asked, as she and Shane approached the group.

"Tori!" His blush deepened. "I'm so glad you made it." He pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Yeah, I'm glad I did, too." As the words left her lips, she began to wonder how true they were. Maybe Shane and Hunter had been right: this was a pretty awkward situation. It was like a break up she was forced to be happy about.

"What, no hug for me?" Shane pretended to be hurt. "I see how it is."

"Aw, sorry," Blake said, extending a fist that Shane reluctantly bumped. A smile crept to Shane's face as he and Blake shared a laugh.

"So, what? You gonna make us proud?"

"I'm gonna try," Blake answered, looking to the faces of his friends and brother, who all smiled back at him.

"You better!" Dustin piped up, crossing his arms in an attempt to be menacing that failed miserably. "Because I'm gonna watch your races and I want to brag about you. Kelly actually said that she'd tape them and play them at Storm Chargers."

"I have no doubts that you'll do well, Blake." Cam added. "So long as you keep up with a consistent practice schedule."

All eyes fell to Tori, as she realized it was her turn to say something to him. Suddenly, she wished that she had prepared something. "Um, don't forget to write, okay?" She tried to be positive, but the pit in her stomach grew larger. "And call, too."

"Will do," He said, adjusting his backpack. "I feel like a kid on the first day of school…" He laughed. "I'm really, really going to miss you guys."

"Hear that, D?" Shane cooed. "He's gonna miss us."

"Some more than others?" Dustin smirked, but before anyone could react, a woman's voice echoed through the gate.

"Flight 28-20 to Los Angeles, California, now boarding coach seating."

"That's me," Blake said, hesitantly.

"You got everything?" Hunter asked protectively.

"Yep."

"You sure? Where's your passport?"

"Here," Blake answered, pulling it from his back pocket and waving it in his brother's face. "Relax, bro. I got this."

"Look at you, growing up…" He pretended to wipe a tear away.

"Okay, I really gotta go, now." Blake said, giving each of his friends one last hug. When he got to Tori, he paused awkwardly, as though he expected her to say something more.

She smiled weakly. "I'll visit sometime."

"Get over here," Blake opened his arms, and she threw herself into them, wrapping hers around his neck. The moment seemed to never end, and all she could feel was his warmth. Tori made a mental note to remember that warmth when she missed him. Truth be told, she already missed him. "Bye, Tor." He whispered into her hair before pulling back.

"Go on, then." Hunter said, shoving his brother towards the gate with a lopsided grin. Blake only looked back once and waved bittersweetly before boarding. "Don't forget to call when you land! Got that?"

"Yeah! Be careful!" Cam shouted after him.

"And don't talk to strangers!" Dustin mimicked, knowing that they were embarrassing Blake, who disappeared from sight. "Our baby's all grown up," he said, as the group walked to the window to watch the plane take off.

Tori sighed as she leaned against the glass, watching people climb the stairs onto the plane. "He'll be okay, won't he?"

"He's supposed to land this afternoon." Tori looked to Hunter, who looked as nervous as she felt. He crossed his arms, and she could tell that he was trying to hide it.

"You know, at least L.A.'s not that far away." Shane noted. "It's just downstate."

"Yeah," Cam agreed. "Actually, it's only a couple hour drive."

Hunter shrugged. "Factory Blue paid for his airfare, so I won't complain."

"Road trip?" Dustin suggested as he and Shane high-fived.

"You know," Cam said, thoughtfully, "That's actually not a bad idea."

"Thanks… I think."

"Woah, there," Hunter cut in. "Let's give him sometime to settle in." He should have known this would happen. Blake tended to have this effect on people. He wasn't even gone and everyone was ready to follow him.

"Dude, the plane!" Shane pointed, forgetting their plans for the moment. The sound of the engine vibrated the glass where Tori leaned. She looked over her shoulder and saw the propellers spin. The plane began to move forward, inching itself forward, taking with it her last shred of hope that Blake wanted the things she did. It raced past the window until at last it took off.

No one said anything for a while as everyone waited for someone else to break the silence. "Goodbye, Blake." Tori whispered into the glass as the plane disappeared from sight.

"Okay, then," Shane said, clapping his hands together, awkwardly. "I guess now we just… wait for that phone call."


	6. Never Did Fit In

Hugging her knees to her chest, Tori blinked for the first time in what felt like years and at last surrendered her staring contest with the clock on the wall above her desk. She fell back on to her bed with a dissatisfied groan.

The clock had been lying to her for hours. It couldn't possibly be two in the morning, as the clock now read. If it really was two in the morning that meant that Blake had been in Los Angeles for more than twelve hours and she hadn't gotten so much as a text message from him. She flipped open her cell phone again, hoping she had missed it; that he had called and left a message and in the intensity of watching the second hand feed her lies, let it go.

No missed calls. No new messages. No such luck.

"I hope he's okay," She said softly, pulling a pillow over her stomach and beginning a new staring contest, this time with the ceiling. "What are you doing, Blake?"

Tori tried to imagine him getting off the plane at the Los Angeles International Airport, looking around until he found one of the Factory Blue guys. They probably had one of those cute little signs with his name on it in big letters. Maybe he was already completely settled into the apartment they'd promised to set up for him. Blake didn't seem old enough to be living on his own, although technically he was an adult. To be fair, he'd probably be on the road racing a lot. He'd more than likely spend more time going between hotel rooms than he'd ever be in that faceless apartment.

She wondered if his apartment would miss him the way she did when he was gone. The truth was Tori missed him so much more than the first time he left, and he'd hardly been gone long enough to miss. He'd probably be fine, she assured herself, and with enough time, she would be, too. However, for the time being, all she wanted was to hear Blake's voice telling her that he was safe and sound.

At that moment, as if by some kind stoke of fate, her phone began to ring. Without even bothering to check the caller id, she flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?" In the moment it took for the other end to respond, she prayed for Blake to be the answer.

"Hey." Again, no such luck. "You awake, then?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah." Tori said, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Are you— wait, I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," She admitted. "I couldn't sleep. Were you going to ask something?"

He paused a beat too long before answering. "No, it wasn't important."

"Oh." Tori didn't know what to say, and he didn't say anything. It was strange though, because she didn't feel like anything needed to be said. It was two in the morning and she was just listening to the legato of Hunter Bradley's breath over the phone line.

He broke the silence just as she was getting used to it. "I, uh, I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a drive and… This is going to sound really weird, but I kind of wound up on your street."

"You did? Are you still here?" She jumped to the window. Pulling the curtain back slightly, she peered out to the street. Sure enough two houses down there was a rusty pick up truck with its lights off. "I guess so. I see you."

"I see you, too." He waved from the drivers seat and she could almost make out the lines of his smile in the darkness.

"Okay, stay there." Without waiting for his answer, she hung up and began to tiptoe down stairs, pausing only to remember if it was the fifth or sixth stair that creaked. Silently, she slipped into the night.

"Hey," Hunter said, now leaning against the hood of the truck, as she crossed the lawn. "Welcome to the party."

"I can see it's really bumpin' out here." Tori laughed. "So what, may I ask, brings you to my humble abode this fine evening, good sir?"

"Well, I was thinking that I'd come out here and see if I couldn't catch a fair maiden musing to the stars." When she looked at him, face painted with confusion, he explained. "You know, 'But soft—what light beyond yon window breaks. It is the east and Tori Hanson the sun'."

"Did you just rewrite… Shakespeare?" Tori laughed as Hunter crossed his arms with the slight sting of embarrassment.

"Well," He huffed. "Just see if I ever recite poetry for you again."

"Aw, come on," Tori giggled. "Can you really blame me? I mean, it's _you_ quoting Shakespeare. You have to admit, it's a little funny."

"What's so funny about that, exactly?" He said, straightening up.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not exactly Romeo." She leaned her back against the hood of his truck, propping her elbows behind her. He face sunk into a sudden seriousness and Tori began to regret her last comment.

Hunter cleared his throat and stared at the ground for a moment before lifting his gaze to the street stretching before them. "Are you saying that I'm not good enough to be your boyfriend?" His eyes turned to her and witnessed the color draining from her cheeks.

"Hunter, I didn't—"

"Relax, Tor." He cracked a smile. "I'm just playing. Besides, we both know that if anything I'm _too_ good to be your boyfriend." Still wearing his lopsided grin, he reached over and mussed her hair.

"Right," She answered sarcastically, swatting his hand away. He had a point, though. Even if he was just kidding, he probably was too good for her. He wasn't just some typical guy. Hunter was anything but typical. He was a constant surprise, a devoted listener and a shoulder to lean on. Tori knew that she was lucky to have him in any capacity at all, but he wasn't Blake. She was right back where she started. "Are you worried about him?"

"Who, Blake? Nah, he's a big kid, now." Hunter lied. "I'm sure he's just fine."

"I guess. Did he… call?" She hesitated, almost not wanting to know the answer. If he hadn't called, it would only make her worry, but if he had, it would break her heart.

"Yeah." She silently sighed with relief, and then felt the unavoidable tug at the corner of her heart. "He got there okay. He said it's about a million degrees there, but he starts time testing tomorrow." Hunter picked at the skin on his thumb.

"That's fast," She thought aloud. "I hope he's—"

"Look, no offense, Tor, but I don't really want to talk about Blake right now." Hunter stopped her.

"Oh. Oh, right, of course." Pulling herself up to sit on the truck's hood, Tori shut up.

"I came out here," Hunter began, looking up at her. "Because I was tired of thinking about Blake. You know? I've spent the last few years just worrying about the two of us, and it's exhausting."

"I understand."

"Do you?" The anger crept into his voice before he could stop it. "All I'm asking for is one conversation with you that's not about my brother, or superpowers, or ninja school: one normal conversation with you. Is that too much to ask?"

"Of course not," Tori answered immediately.

"Okay, then." He simmered.

Tori found herself once again without words. Now that she thought about it, he was right, again. Those were really the only things they talked about, and she couldn't help but think how incredibly dumb that was. She could talk to him about anything and she just kept choosing the same things over and over. Why?

"Hey," She piped up as his expression softened. " See that tree over there?" She pointed to a large tree in her front yard. His gaze followed her gesture.

"Yeah… What about it?"

"That's where I met Shane." She pushed her hair behind her ear and took his silence as an invitation to keep talking. "When I was six, I had this obsession with climbing trees. I thought that if I could just keep going higher, at some point I'd actually be able to touch rain clouds. Everybody has a phase like that, I guess. Anyway, so I was up in that tree, when this kid comes racing down the street on a little red bicycle."

"Shane?" He asked.

Tori nodded and went on. "He was faster than the wind and to be honest, it was making me dizzy watching him. So, I look down from probably a good eleven feet up and I shout, 'Don't go so fast!' and he must not have seen me, because he hit his brakes too hard and flew over the handlebars." She looked back to the tree for a moment. "I thought he was dead. As it turns out, it was just a scabbed knee, but he cried anyway, and told me he'd punch me if I told anyone at school, and I never told anyone until now."

"Let me guess," Hunter said, looking back at her. She looked far away, like she was still grasping for rain clouds. "You've been best friends ever since."

"Pretty much."

"How do you remember all of that? All the details and stuff? It was more than ten years ago."

"I don't know," She admitted, returning to reality. "I guess I just… do. You know how there's some things you just never forget?"

"Yeah." He thought of Storm Chargers, the day that he'd met Tori and Shane and the look on Blake's face when he saw her. He remembered wondering, what was so damn special about her? And how he'd learned exactly what made Blake look at her the way he did.

"Your turn," She scooted over closer to him. "Who was your first best friend?"

"Um, Blake?" He answered after a moment's thought.

"Siblings don't count."

"You're going to laugh at me." Perhaps it was the orange glow of the streetlight above or maybe it was just her imagination, but Tori could swear she saw a light blush creeping across his cheeks.

"I won't, I promise," She smiled reassuringly, while crossing her heart. He turned away and mumbled something inaudible. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I said you, okay? Happy now?" He crossed his arms over his chest like a child who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His brow furrowed and he spoke again. "I didn't have friends growing up. Not really. I had Blake and Blake's friends, which wasn't really the same thing. I just never really fit in anywhere."

"Hunter…" She put her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to console him, but he shrugged it off.

"No, don't do that. Not you." Hunter spat. "Don't pity me. I don't need the poor-antisocial-kid treatment. I turned out okay, didn't I? So what if it took me nineteen years to make actual friends of my own? Who cares?"

"I'm sorry," Tori said quietly. She wasn't sure there was anything else she could say, so she stared at the pavement instead.

"But you know the worst part? The part I really can't stand? I can deal with being alone. I can deal with being with people. What I can't deal with is you."

"Me?" She asked, shocked. "What did I ever do? Thirty seconds ago, I was your best friend!"

"Exactly!" He said, a little too loudly, forgetting the hour and where they were. "You're my best friend and you still like Blake more than me! But don't feel bad about it, everyone does."

She hopped off the truck silently. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she buried her head against his chest. "You know that's not true, Hunter."

Hunter stood frozen for a moment, not sure what to do, or what had happened. Weren't they fighting a second ago? How had it ended up like this? Her warm arms didn't give up, and Hunter decided it was probably best to hug her back. Pulling one arm across the back of her shoulders, he stroked her hair with the other hand. "I'm sorry for yelling," he whispered.

"Hey, now we're even." She smiled, pulling back.

"I guess so."

"You know, if I'm your girl, that makes it my job to look out for you, too." Tori stretched on her toes to peck a quick kiss on his cheek. "Go home, Hunter. You need to get some sleep."

"Alright," He conceded. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right." She teased. "I'm always right! I'll call you in the morning."

He made his way to the driver side door and pulled it open. "Good night, Tori."

"Night, Hunter." And he pulled away into the night.


End file.
